Army to maintain strong vigil along LAC as situation remains ‘tense’

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday asked the Army to maintain strong vigil along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China as the situation in the northern sector remained “tense” in view of deployment of PLA troops. In his address at the Army Commanders’ Conference, Singh, without making specific references, called upon the armed forces to take note of geo-political changes around the world, and accordingly mould their planning and strategies, sources said. “The situation is tense due to deployment of PLA troops in the northern sector. Our armed forces, especially the Indian Army, will have to continuously keep their vigilance in order to maintain the security of the LAC,” he said, according to the sources. Singh’s comments came in the backdrop of the three-year border row in eastern Ladakh. The defence minister said the security of the country is the “topmost priority” for the government. “I assure all of you that it is the whole endeavour of the government to provide the best weapons and facilities to each and every soldier posted on the border,” he said at the conference in Delhi. The five-day Army Commanders’ Conference began on Monday. It is deliberating on India’s national security challenges along the borders with China and Pakistan and ways to boost combat capability of the force. Referring to Jammu and Kashmir, the defence minister said it is witnessing peace and stability and there has been a significant decline in the number of terrorist activities in the Union Territory.